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I’m back today with my usual Five Things. This week seems to have a bit of a rainbow theme in effect. Show me someone who doesn’t like rainbow-colored things, and I’ll show you a big fat liar. I’ve gather this weeks “things” from a variety of locations, namely the local Whole Foods, Books Inc., and my favorite cookie delivery people. One would think that I’m hawking for all these people, but I’m afraid not! (If anyone has any connections, please put me in touch with them *wink wink*) Don’t ever hesitate to add some sprinkles to your life. It’s always appropriate…

Along with Pride in San Francisco came these rainbow unicorn cupcakes. I could almost not bring myself to eat this majestic frosting. Also, I have to give credit to whoever is crafting little chocolate unicorns. Amazing!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: a Pinterest recipe! I was inspired by this recipe from Veuve Cliquot that combines vanilla ice cream, raspberries, and champagne. It was a hit- especially in the Fourth of July heat!

When all else fails, nothing can brighten up your day quite like a cookie covered in rainbow sprinkles. I’m partial to Doughbies, based here in San Francisco, that will deliver freshly baked cookies directly to you in under 20 minutes.

I’ll admit that I was a bit apprehensive of the adult coloring book trend that seems to have taken hold recently, but this fantastic display finally has me convinced. I even came across some actual “adult” coloring books- chock full of phrases that would make the FCC have a fit. The dichotomy never fails to make me laugh!

Image c/o Butlikemaybe

Butlikemaybe has to be my new favorite Instagram account. I love the simple illustrations coupled with all too relatable (albeit hilarious) scenarios. You can find some of my other favorite posts here, here, and here.

My Five Things for the week are truly indicative of my life lately. Meaning, that my life has consisted of cold brew coffee/cocktails/coffee cocktails, inspirational Pinterest quotes, snarky T-shirts, and chocolate. In case you haven’t already noticed, I’m a horrible stereotype of a 20-something woman and need to be stopped. But, at the end of the day, at least I’m not accosting you with my crazy outfits from Coachella. You’re welcome.

Prizefighter is quickly becoming one of my favorite East Bay bars. It has everything you might need: snacks, delicious cocktails, and puppies. I often come here over other spots just to play with stranger’s dogs. They do get bonus points for having a section of their menu dedicated to alcoholic iced coffees. Win!

There’s the most wonderful little wine shop that sells European cheeses and chocolates. I like to stop by occasionally and grab lunch there while ogling all their treats.

My friend Rachel recently introduced me to a marvelous new thing: Creme de Violette. It makes your cocktails this beautiful violet color, and tastes amazing! I like it best in my gin and tonics.

Photo c/o Pinterest

Sometimes I wish life could be this simple. Perhaps it’s just up to you! Go get yourself some ice cream and forget about those people, and, although violence is never the answer, I’m sure there are a few individuals out there who merit this quote. Thanks for the wisdom, Frank Ocean.

Photo c/o Thug Life Shirts

A friend recently showed me this t-shirt and pronounced that it was entirely me. I also like hiking, as long as I can wear my yoga pants and bring my traveling latte. I could spend a great deal of time perusing all of the tops at Thug Life Shirts– they’re all hilarious. I could never decide on just one.

Those of you who know me, know I enjoy my baking endeavors. However, unlike many savvy bakers I know, I’m the kind of baker that can’t be bothered with certain things. If a recipe involves rolling, cutting, or, heaven forbid yeast, you can count me out. I live in fear of messing those recipes up, even though my friends insist they’re like any other. So, when I came across simple, yummy-sounding cookie recipes mentally stash them away for a rainy day, or a relaxing afternoon.

These potato chip cookies from my favorite food blog Smitten Kitchen seemed like they could either be odd or totally amazing- I’m glad to say that they were, hands down, the latter. I would go out on a limb and say that they were slightly evil as well. After all, how could something that consists primarily of butter, sugar, and potato chips not be delicious?

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium size bowl, cream butter and a 1/2 cup sugar together. Mix in salt and vanilla. Add the chopped pecans and crushed potato chips. When fully combined, stir in flour until solid dough forms. Place remaining sugar in a small bowl, roll small balls of dough in sugar, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly (I used my hands, because I’m totally uncool and don’t have fancy tools like this), and sprinkle with any leftover potato chip flakes. (The original calls for a “potato chip salt,” but I couldn’t help but cut corners.)

Bake cookies until edges brown lightly- about 15 minutes. The final result is not unlike a pecan sandie, except exceptionally light and pleasingly salty.

I ate about two of these and suddenly realized that I had a problem. Being left alone in the house with over a dozen of these cookies, I could have easily eaten every single one; they were so good. I started frantically giving them away in batches to friends and family in an attempt to stop myself from overindulging! While some people were skeptical at the thought of potato chip cookies, everyone did agree that they were amazing. I think I’ll have to make another batch very soon.

I was also craving some sort of baked good. Like most Sundays, I try to cram as many activities as possible into one day, so after fueling myself with coffee, I hoped on the trusty Google and began a search for a “lazy biscuit” recipe. Lazy was probably an understatement, because, at this point I didn’t even have enough motivation to reach for the recipe book on the top shelf of my kitchen cabinets. Lucky for me, I stumbled upon Bran Appetit’s “Lazy Biscuits for Two.” It was perfect! The recipe was straightforward, and with a little finagling, I even whipped together a substitute for buttermilk with some regular milk and a little lemon juice. I mean, aside from the fact that I was just one person making a “for two” recipe, I was feeling pretty confident. Anyway, who could resist the possibility of having something like this for breakfast:

Photo c/o Bran Appetit

Looks delicious right?

Well, being fairly competent in the kitchen, I quickly realized something was horribly wrong with my version of these biscuits.

I give you, pancake-cookie-biscuits with an aluminum foil crust!

Mmmm, so delicious!!

I lamented these resulting “biscuits” so much, I even pulled out a spatula and tried to pry them off the foil in an attempt to eat whatever I could. After the 20 minutes I spent gently cutting the butter into flour to make these dough blobs, they would have been actually edible had I bothered to fully read the directions. I’ve honestly never had a baking endeavor go so wrong so quickly. Unfortunately, I know some of you can relate to my kitchen disaster- sometimes the things that come out of your oven are just destined to be a hot mess, both literally and figuratively. So, I did what any normal 20-something would do: I salvaged my day with an impromptu road trip to Napa for a glass of wine and some amazing food.

Today, I wanted to share a cherished recipe that I first stumbled upon in my junior year of college. It was a Sunday morning, and I was the first one up in the little house I shared with three friends. I knew I wanted to treat myself for breakfast, preferably to something dessert-like, like pancakes or muffins, but didn’t have too many ingredients in the pantry. Luckily, we had a few basics, along with a massive Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook I could refer to for inspiration. I had no idea what these “nun’s puffs” were supposed to be, or how they would turn out, and I certainly didn’t think that they would become a tradition years later. I’ve made these so many times, I’ve memorized the recipe!

Photo c/o Brooke Perisho

All you need is:

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)

3/4 cup flour

4 eggs

1 cup milk

A few tablespoons of sugar to taste

Preheat your oven to 375º, and grease a muffin tin. Fully melt your stick of butter in a saucepan, and then add 1 cup milk. When the mixture comes to a boil, add flour, and stir quickly over heat until dough forms a ball. Take mixture off the stovetop, and let cool for five minutes. Stir in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Spoon egg batter into muffin cups, 2/3rds full. Sprinkle sugar over each puff and bake for 30 minutes. Done! (Best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. Especially delicious with honey.)

….

My girlfriends and I had planned to whip these together for breakfast during our San Diego adventures, but, alas, the condo we were staying in had no muffin tins. So, we improvised. Turns out, four ramekins are all you need to make a mighty impressive looking breakfast souffle-like thing. They’re something we’ve enjoyed together for years- we even made some for my friend Brooke’s bridal shower! They’re simple enough to whip up at a moments notice, and almost foolproof. Also, it’s a great little recipe to have up your sleeve if you’re looking to impress someone.

So, next time you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands in the morning, try whipping up a batch of nun puffs. Share them with your significant other (ick, yes, I just used that term), friends, or even your neighbors. No one can resist the puffs! And, as to why they’re called “nun’s puffs,” I have no idea. Flying nun reference, anyone?

For almost a year now, my Tuesdays have become “Taco Tuesdays.” It’s turned into so much of a tradition that, when skipped, I am beset with strong cravings for Mexican food. Yes, I must now have weekly tacos. As most of you know, tacos are best paired with a cold cerveza or a margarita, but I decided to get a little creative and whip together a sangria for the latest get-together with my girlfriends. It’s an impressive addition to any party, but also quite simple to put together!

Yes, those are my polka dot boxer shorts in the corner. Who gets all dressed up to make a mess in the kitchen?

Going off of the assumption that sangria is primarily made of wine, fruit, and some sort of liqueur, I threw together a big pot of the stuff one morning, and let it “marinate” until dinnertime. It was totally experimental, and luckily turned out to be delicious! All you need is:

Chop up all fruit into bite size pieces, cover with wine and liqueur; stir, refrigerate, and let rest for 2+hours. When ready to serve, top with soda or sparkling water and enjoy! I know, it’s incredibly high-tech. It’s also foolproof as long as you taste as you go. Should you prefer a stronger sangria, you’re welcome to edit the recipe to your liking. You could also easily make a non-alcoholic sangria with a grape juice, or, even better, lots of kombucha! And, let’s not forget: it’s an easy way to make your after work cocktail count as a serving of fruit.

Adulthood is basically a bunch of life-hacks in disguise. Oh, and sangria.

I’m sure many of you remember the Frankenstein-of-cupcakes I created in my kitchen a while back. (Hello, weird watermelon frosting!) Today’s recipe is quite a bit different, but somehow turned out equally as strange. Luckily, the taste makes up for its questionable appearance. I’ve made a cherry clafoutis before, although using an entirely different recipe that I was unable to find this go-around. Although, it was significantly more cake-like, I believe this squishier pancake dough is perhaps more authentic. I used an amended recipe I found from Garrett McCord on Simply Recipes, and, as the name would indicate, it was quite simple. For my version, you’ll need:

2 cups of pitted cherries

1 tablespoon almond extract, or almond flavored syrup

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 pinches of salt

1 cup milk

a splash of vanilla extract

Cherries in their still-frozen state. They got a lot uglier once defrosted, I’m afraid…

While the cherries defrosted, I practiced my one-handed egg cracking skills. Which is why all of the egg yolks look so destroyed in this photo. Whoops!

Batter’s done and cherries are ready to go in the bottom of my favorite Le Creuset baking dish.

After 1 hour of baking at 350 degrees, I was left with the below masterpiece.

It’s a little cherry-heavy, and forgive the missing chunk on the side. It’s where I sampled it before taking a picture. And, as the original recipe said, it did fall quite a bit while cooling down.

In hindsight, though I’ve previously used frozen cherries, I wish I had used fresh cherries despite the extra work of removing the pits. I’d also like to use a tad more flour to up it’s density. It’s awfully squishy, this one. If you don’t mind the funny texture, it’s quite sweet and delicious. I’m hoping to slice it up this evening and serve it alongside some ice cream. A pretty good accomplishment for a Thursday, if you ask me.